HOLLOMAN RECYCLING CENTER CLOSES

Published March 3, 2008
By A1C Tiffany Trojca
49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

HOLLOMAN AFB, N.M. -- On Feb. 1, 2008, the Holloman Air Force Base recycling center shut its doors.
The 49th Civil Engineer Squadron pollution prevention manager, Mike Jago, described it
as too expensive to operate. He said that the base was paying over $300,000 to collect 390 tons of recyclables. In addition, he said that housing residents and industrial workers weren't recycling enough to account for the costs of the program.
Recycling hasn't completely disappeared, however. The Recycling Center still does 30
percent of its recycling through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office, AAFES, base housing, and the commissary. The change will also be affecting DRMO. "We expect to see an increase in the volume of scrap metal, i.e. steel, copper, aluminum," said Johnny Rasnick, environmentalist protection specialist. According to Mr. Rasnick, everything that is recycled and sold at DRMO makes money for Holloman Air Force Base."The proceeds from any scrap turned in under the Resource Recovery & Recycle
Program are reimbursed back to the base," he said. Although there probably won't be another contract through the base that offers recycling, DRMO has the capability to set up a Qualified Recycling Program. A QRP can be funded by the metals that are recycled by DRMO; the funds pay workers and buy the equipment necessary for the process.
Mr. Jago said to recycle metals such as copper, motors, tin cans, metal shavings, batteries or used oil, call DRMO at 572-7567. They can assist with turning these metals into resources others can use. Other places to take your recyclables include Karma Recycling, the La Luz Transfer Station, and G&G Surplus in downtown Alamogordo.